The warm water here, and Key West snorkeling is really taking off. No longer do you need a wetsuit, the water is so warm. Just a stylish rashguard and shorts or bikini bottom will do…with lots of sunscreen on those uncovered parts! The water is finally calmer, and some days the ocean around Key West is like a lake. Don’t get me wrong- the winter cooling breezes are always a welcome part of any Key West snorkeling trip. But smooth water is excellent for snorkeling.

These pictures were taken today, and although conditions were excellent for snorkelers, the water was a bit green, making the vis a little bit compromised. But as you can see in the barracuda picture, taken at about 20 or 25 feet, you can still see bottom. This barracuda was following us, lurking, as it seems lots of barracuda do. They think all boats are fishing boats, which means wonderful bits of chum showering down for them to eat. Not this time! They get close, making picture taking fun and easy. But don’t worry, they are afraid of people, they won’t harm you.

 

March is windy in Key West.  Winds probably average almost 20 knots some weeks and you have to be hale and hardy to get out on the water.  We’ve had our share of seasick visitors on the boat this month and we’re ready for calmer days already.  The past week, with winds from the South and Southeast, even the shallow lobster spots we frequent on windy days when we can’t get out to the reef and the Bar, are stirred up.  A short walk out to the end of White Street Pier gives us a good idea of what the vis is like on those spots.  Take a look:

Really Bad Vis in Key West Shallow Water

People were fishing from White Street Pier.  If you look closely, you can see where the vis changes from pure mud to pure milk.

Bad Vis at White Street Pier

Hardly anybody knows about the Key West Wildlfe Center.  It’s hidden, even though it’s steps away from White Street Pier and South Roosevelt Boulevard, the main thoroughfare for people going to the beaches.  We lived here two years before stepping inside, and then only because visiting friends had an obsession with rescuing baby orphaned chickens from the mean streets of Key West.

The people at the Key West Wildlife Center will gladly take in baby chicks you find around the island, which have been abandoned or which have been temporary pets and now need care and attention.  The back of the center is dominated by large, clean pens for the chickens, although when I visited they had all been rounded up and taken to a farm on the mainland to live out their lives.  (I hope that wasn’t just a line they gave me, but I think it’s true).

There are some permanent residents at the Key West Wildlife Center:  a great white rooster in a cage on the porch:

Permanent Resident at Key West Wildlife Center

If you have extra feed, bedding or anything a chicken might need, feel free to drop it off at the Center.  We did when we took some chickens there, and they seemed to really appreciate it.  They do great things for the Key West chicken and any other critter that needs rescuing.

The Key West Rescue Center

Back Yard of the Key West Rescue Center

Clean Chicken Pens at the Rescue Center

Once a year we head to the Key West Winery and get all our Christmas shopping done.  This is going to sound like paid advertisement, but I assure you it’s not.  We choose fruity wines and have them sent right from the store to people back home in NY state.  It’s easy and people LOVE receiving this wine! 

My family loved the Orange Sunset wine, semi sweet version.  This year we also sent bottles of the Hot Sun wine, which has tomato and peppers in it.  And of course how can you resist sending someone a bottle of Key Lime wine?  We try and choose bottles that have pictures of the Florida Keys on them, too.  

I sampled the Cocoa Beach, which has one of the best flavor combinations ever invented: orange and chocoloate.  But it was too sweet, like drinking syrup so I didn’t buy it.  Instead I bought Coco Polada, which has Pina Colada flavors in it.  There’s also a watermelon wine, which I also couldn’t resist.  I tended to choose the sweeter-sounding wines because they seemed tropical and festive, perfect gifts.  They also have dry wines and champagne, too.  

The Key West Winery storefront is at 103 Simonton St, almost completely at the end of the street by the waterfront.  There’s parking in back, just for Key West Winery customers.  That’s totally unusual!  The actual store is delightful, with a skylight over the wine showroom, so light bounces all around.  They’ve decorated with stained glass too, so just standing in the showroom is a treat.  They will give you samples of any wine you want, and usually there are samples of their dips with chips as well.  The other end of the store has their other items, like local books, salsas, candies, and endless jars of gourmet foods.  Locals get a 10% discount all year long.  Have Fun!

For more on Key West shopping, click to our shopping page.

 

OK, this isn’t even in Key West but it’s so good I have to tell someone about it.  We were driving out to Cudjoe Sales to get some stuff for spearfishing and on the way back, on the Gulf side of US 1 at MM 21.4 is Mad Dawg’z BBQ Joint.  It’s just a little RV thing and a smoker which is actually bigger than the camper which serves as kitchen, cash register and center of operations for this little joint.  They are set up at some sort of gardening store which sells tiles and fountains and plants.  

SO. GOOD.  I got Chophouse Chili for $5.50 and it came with the best cornbread I’ve ever had.  The chili itself was also the best chili I’ve ever had.  Really!  It had pieces of smoked brisket in it, along with the smoked beans and everything else.  

Ben got the pulled pork sandwich which was a little disappointing.  It was so sweet, and it didn’t come with any extra sauce on the side.  Oh well.  They also serve

• cheeseburgers 
• chili brats 
• smoked chicken
• frito pie, a house specialty
• homemade salsa
• all the sides you can imagine, including peach cobbler

You can even buy the meat by the pound, and they will smoke your Thanksgiving Turkey for $20!

We didn’t have room left for the pecan caramel apple pie.  At $2.50 I guess that’s a steal so we should have taken some for the road.  I wish I had it now!!!